


The Forgotten

by RegniRuinam



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra, Final Fantasy VII
Genre: Alternate Universe, Cross-universe, F/F, F/M, Loss of Bending Ability, M/M, Original Character(s), Other, Rehabilitation, Reincarnation, progressive relationships
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-07-18
Updated: 2016-07-27
Packaged: 2018-07-24 20:09:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,619
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7521397
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RegniRuinam/pseuds/RegniRuinam
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It was gone. Everything eaten up by that plague from the sky. There was nothing they could have done. They had failed in their duty as the Avatar. But . . .maybe . . .just maybe . . .there was some hope. They would not waste this second chance.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Night Of The Broken Comet

 

**~Night of the Broken Comet: Book One Water Prologue Start~**

 

_ Perhaps . . .I should have been born under a different star.  _ Blue-tinted lips quivered as dust fell to hide their once pink hue. The bearer of said lips made no move to remove the offending particles, hoping, in vain, that it would instead bury them.

 

Salty remains of tears stuck themselves to tender cheeks, an unwelcome reminder that they were alive.  _ Everyone else is gone. _ The blue-lipped figure stared at the aurora as it became a sickly shade of green. The dancing lights gathered to the giant figure in the distance, a strange machine that seemed to eat up everything spiritual. Despite knowing its purpose to be a beneficial one, the figure couldn’t help but look at the sight with sorrow. The clothes around their knees were absorbing the melting snow that touched them, but the figure paid it no mind, having no motivation to move or look away.  _ I failed. _

 

**_It’s okay._ ** The figure looked up at the three silhouettes that had haunted them since birth.  **_This isn’t the end._ **

 

A breathy, disbelieving laugh escaped the frostbitten lips;  _ Can’t you see? Everything is gone. Every human is dead, the plants and animals soon to follow, and the Spirit World is leaving this place behind.  _ Even the Sun itself seemed to be winking out of existence as the world had turned dark and grey. Cold was encroaching on the lone warm body, grasping and taking until eventually there would be nothing left. Despite all the power at their fingertips, the figure couldn’t seem to warm themselves anymore.

 

“Why did this happen?” The figure demanded of the world, ignoring the silhouettes behind them. “Why wasn’t I strong enough?” Cold fingers reached out for the snow, becoming fists in a last attempt to reach for any form of life on the planet. Nothing, as usual. Their tears were dry, but sobs still racked their body as if nothing else mattered.

 

A comforting presence made itself known to the figure, ethereal hands laid themselves on shaking shoulders in an attempt to soothe what was left of their heart.

 

**_Ketu._ ** The silhouette whispered once the figure’s sobs died down.  **_This is not the end._ ** The silhouette’s tone said gravely. Blue lips still quivering, the figure, now dubbed Ketu, tilted their head to indicate that they were listening.  **_That . . .thing, the one that caused all of this. It will move on once it has absorbed the very core of this planet._ **

 

“That . . . .” That thing was going to move on? To the next planet? The one where the kids were heading?! This would happen  _ again?!  _ “No!” The figure’s words left their mouth without thought, a painful action, as it left them coughing, trying to expel the blood that filled their lungs.

 

The silhouette gave a nod that confirmed all of the figure’s fears.  **_Residents of the Spirit World have agreed to transport what is left of human life to the next world safely, just as they promised you, but I fear that will not be the end of it._ **

 

“What do we do?” Ketu asked desperately, ignoring the red substance running down their chin to look at all three silhouettes before focusing on the one closest to them, “Korra, what do we  _ do?!” _

 

The older Avatar looked at her broken, reincarnated self with a heavy expression.  **_You have two choices ahead of you. You could trust in the future generation._ ** The water-bender tried to smile reassuringly, but it was unconvincing.  **_As someone very wise once said, ‘Sometimes you just have to leave it to the kids.’._ ** Ketu waited, a frown on their face as they considered that option.  **_Or, you can follow them._ **

 

“Follow . . . .” At a loss for words, Ketu looked up at the giant figure in the distance as it ate up the familiar Northern and Southern lights. While tempting, the figure didn’t know if they had it in them. The current Avatar was very tired of fighting, being a natural pacifist, and had been beaten down more times then they could count. Their fight seemed to be a constant battle, one they weren’t winning in the long run despite the number of victories. With blood-filled lungs and no will left to move, the choice seemed obvious.

 

In another time, Ketu would have turned to look at their predecessors and shake their head sadly, choosing to quietly die in the soft comforts of the snow. Ketu would have sent away the children that were safely hidden in the Spirit World, hoping that they could forgive the cowardice of their supposed protector.

 

This time, Ketu’s eyes looked slightly to the right before turning back to the dead spirits behind them, catching sight of something they would not have noticed otherwise.

 

A dandelion. A single, weed of a flower poked itself out of the snow, usually a significance of the coming of Spring, but Ketu knew that it would only be a matter of time before it too would be killed to feed the greedy invader from the skies.

 

An indignant anger swelled up inside of the Avatar’s chest.  _ How dare it take everything! How dare it kill my home! How dare it!  _ Uncharacteristically, Ketu turned to their predecessors with a predatory spark in their eyes. “I’ll do it.” Their voice rang out to the empty air, but their determination didn’t even falter at the disappearance of the dead Avatars, as they now knew what to do.

 

Crossing their legs, Ketu looked up at the last of the fading aurora before reaching for their core.  _ I’ll follow them. If not in body, then in spirit. I will watch over them with all that I am.  _ Taking deep breaths, Ketu meticulously separated their spirit from their body, abandoning it in favor of joining the fleeing Spirit World.

 

They had a duty as the Avatar after all.

 

~

 

Normally, when an Avatar was born, a celebration was to be had. They would be watched over, protected, until the time came where they would be sent out for training. They would immerse themselves into the four main forms of bending, learn to have an appreciation for the cultures they came across, until eventually they would become the balancer of the world.

 

However, when the Spirit World was forced to leave, it only carried a handful of the surviving humans off of the planet, most of whom were children. Although the Avatar followed them, helped them, and protected them as best they could, they could only do so much without their body. Ketu once wondered if they should teach the children what they knew but more often than not, memories of a dead world only made the journey more painful.

 

“Ketu . . .” One boy looked up from his steaming cup of tea. The Avatar turned to look at messy, dark-brown hair, chocolate skin covered in scratches, and tear-filled blue eyes. “What’s going to happen to us?”

 

Not wanting to lie, the Avatar looked at the young boy with a mournful smile, “You’re going to live on.”

 

The welled-up tears started flowing, “How?”

 

Ketu made an effort to teach the children their lost heritage after that. Being from the Air Temple, Ketu knew just how important history was. More than that, the Avatar wanted to make sure that the children had something to live for. A legacy to carry on, so to speak.

 

Time didn’t hold any meaning to Ketu, who was effectively dead, and although the Spirit World aged the children slowly, they still aged. In an effort of normalcy, the Avatar counted the days as best they could, if only to give everyone a sense of time. When roughly fifty years past, Ketu grew worried about where they were headed. How long would it take before they reached this new world? The children didn’t seem upset, although a few had grown into their teenage years during the fifty year period, but Ketu knew that if it took too long, they would eventually lose themselves to the Spirit World.

 

A steaming cup of tea made its way to the front of Ketu’s face, effectively cutting off their train of thought. “Instead of sitting here making storm clouds, perhaps you could share what is troubling you so.” The Avatar smiled half-heartedly before taking the cup.

 

“Thank you,” Ketu said to the General, who made himself comfortable next to them. How the old war hero had kept his human shape in the Spirit World for so long puzzled Ketu, but the Avatar wasn’t about to complain. It was nice to have a friend who wasn’t a child more concerned about the color of their own snot. “I am . . .worried about how long this trip will be.”

 

A humming noise came out of Iroh’s throat as he nursed his own cup of tea. “I understand your concern, but you cannot control how long we will be out here for. Perhaps it is better to sit back and enjoy the time you have.” Furrowing their eyebrows, Ketu only took a sip of their tea and waited for the General to continue, “A glance outside of the Spirit World may help calm your nerves.”

 

General Iroh reached forward, tapping the air in front of them with his index finger. A phantom ripple spread out, blackness stretching out from the middle of it. It wasn’t long until the soft fields of the Spirit World melted away to the great expanse of stars that they were traveling across. A sigh escaped Ketu’s lips as the two of them sat there, content to just watch the stars go by.

 

“It does help to know that we’re getting farther and farther away from that . . .thing.” The General nodded in agreement before sipping his tea. “. . . I don’t know what to do.” Ketu’s voice broke, so young and unsure. “When we do reach the new world . . .I can’t protect them like this. What am I going to do?”

 

Iroh looked out into the great beyond with a thoughtful expression on his face. “You will eventually be reborn, I would imagine. Although, I do not know when, as your spirit may have trouble moving on while you are here.” Old hands reached down to the teapot between them before refilling both their cups. “These children are stronger than you think, young Ketu, teach them what you know, but give them a chance to make their own way into this new world.”

 

A smile crept onto Ketu’s tattooed face, happy for the advice regardless of the situation, “‘At some point, you just have to leave it to the kids,’” The words Korra spoke seemed to resonate within the Spirit World, making it shimmer with agreement. Moving to take another sip of their tea, Ketu paused, a spark of color having reached their sight.

 

“Is that . . . ?” Ketu asked with amazement as they came closer and closer to the speck of green and blue in the distance.

 

Iroh smiled, “Perhaps you need not have worried so much.”

 

~

 

The new world was already occupied. By a Spirit World of their own, no less. Worried, Ketu tentatively reached out to the other plane of existence, careful not to be too aggressive, as they didn’t want to aggravate their potential hosts. The new world’s spirits responded in kind, by pushing a piece of itself into their Spirit World.

 

“Ketu . . .” Two of the youngest children grabbed onto the Avatar’s clothes and hid behind their legs, the Spirit World was warping, twisting to accommodate the new presence that stepped into their domain.

 

It was not the first time that the Avatar wished they had their bending within the Spirit Realm, and it wouldn’t be the last. Getting their shaking body under control, Ketu stared ahead, careful to keep their pose as unthreatening as possible.

 

_ “ _ **Visitors, what is it you seek from the will of Gaia?”** The voice was booming, demanding, and yet, seemed to be trying to work itself gently. A shapeless figure of light floated before Ketu. The being seemed to still be deciding on a shape, as its form was ever-moving, ever-changing.

 

Ketu glanced back to the children before taking a deep breath. “We seek refuge, our world has been overtaken by an unknown entity from the skies.”

 

There was an unsteady pause before the voice responded,  **“And how do I know that you will not bring this entity with you?”**

 

A heavy sigh escaped the Avatar’s lips, as they had already anticipating the question, “If you will not welcome us to your world, then we will leave in search of another, however, you should know that this entity will not stop with my world. It intends to move on to the closest planet with viable life.” Or at least, that was what the people infected with the entity’s sickness had told Ketu. The airbender forced down the memories of phantom friends, sent to issue a cruel warning of the universe’s future. “Seeing as this is the next life-filled planet within the galaxy, I doubt that our presence will make any difference as to when it arrives.”

 

The shapeless being seemed to contemplate this.  **“Very well, but in return, you must provide all of your knowledge of this entity to the inhabitants of my world. What happened to your world will not happen a second time.”**

 

Ketu’s eyes turned steely at the words, holding a fierce resolution. They already knew this, determined to never let what happened back home to happen here. Still, it was good that this being believed them so easily, though the Avatar doubted they could have lied even if they wanted to. “Thank you . . . .” Ketu hesitated before a name flowed into their head, “Minerva.”

 

~

 

“They seem to get along, despite their differences.” Iroh commented, handing Ketu a fresh cup of tea. “The humans and the Cetra.” The Avatar nodded, contemplating the accepting and caring nature of the Cetra before taking a sip of tea. Jasmine, with a faint hint of cherries.

 

“It won’t be long before they form their own countries, most humans prefer the comforts of a home.” Ketu commented, watching the world that they had learned was named Gaia. It had already been two hundred years since they arrived. The children were long dead, integrated into the society of the Cetra, but their traits and culture still lived on. Already the Avatar could see the merging of the Fire and Earth nations, their brash and proud nature bringing forth a new nation. Stories and cultures being changed by the unreliable form of verbal communication. Strangely, however, Ketu found they didn’t mind the change, it felt good to be moving forward.

 

Still, “We’re from a different era Iroh.” Ketu tapped the teacup with an impatient forefinger. “Are you sure they’ll still need us in a few hundred years?”

 

Iroh laughed heartily, “I imagine that they’ll need us just as much as you need your previous lives.”

 

“So, in other words, only when it gets too dangerous to do it alone. At least we’re not completely useless to them.” Ketu chuckled before putting down the empty teacup. A few minutes passed before a somber expression overtook the Avatar, “It’s coming, and they’re not ready.” Not to mention that Ketu’s spirit was nowhere near reincarnation.

 

Iroh shook his head, reaching over to refill his cup. “We can only hope that they can handle it if the time comes too early.”

 

~

 

Four hundred years after the arrival of humans, The Calamity of the Skies crashed into Gaia. Ketu watched as the Cetra and a handful of humans fought against the Calamity, powerless to do anything.

 

“That should be  _ me!”  _ Ketu cried, fists crashing against the invisible barrier between the Spirit World and the Lifestream. Despite being ready for reincarnation, Ketu didn’t have the ability to walk through the Lifestream, which was the only thing that had a direct connection to Gaia. The Avatar could only watch as the Calamity impersonated dead loved ones and infected the world, just as it did before. “I should be fighting that thing out there! What use am I stuck in here?!”

 

However, the Avatar’s plea was ignored as they cried out in sorrow while another child was slaughtered, another village was burned to the ground, and another world descended into chaos.

 

~

 

It had been a welcome relief when the Calamity was finally defeated. Sealed away by the remaining Cetra. Still, there was an uneasy feeling that resided in Ketu’s being, telling them this wasn’t over.

 

A thousand years past, and the two spirits watched as the residents of Gaia slowly forgot about the Calamity. The Cetra, having been crippled from the entity, were dying out, like a candle at the end of its life. In its place, humans rose from the ashes, creating new cities and empires. “Iroh . . .do you know how I can connect with my previous lives?” The General paused in his action of pouring out a cup of tea before sighing and shaking his head. “I need to reconnect with them. Against that . . . _ thing,  _ we need something more than just four people. We need an army.” Despite the Entity being sealed away, Ketu knew that it was only a matter of time before it infected the world again.

 

Iroh sighed once again, reaching over to place a hand on Ketu’s shoulder. “I understand your frustration, but I don’t think there is any known way to reconnect with any of your lives before Korra.”

 

“Then what should we do?” A desperate question that never seemed to be given a satisfactory answer rang out of a cracked voice.

 

The retired General stroked his beard before responding, “It will take a while, but I have sensed that the Lifestream has been integrating the Spirit World into itself. Soon the two will become one.” Ketu nodded, having sensed that as well, “When the time comes, and the two merge completely, then benders will return to humanity.”

 

Sighing, the trapped Avatar leaned forward to rest their head on the table. “And with benders, comes the Avatar, right?” Iroh nodded, going back to his task of serving tea to the spirits that surrounded them.

 

~

 

It was another thousand years before Ketu found their chance. The Lifestream seemed to be weakening considerably, relying more and more on the Spirit World to make up for the lack of energy.

 

“What’s going on?” Ketu asked, looking out at the weakening barrier between the two worlds. Instead of its normally flickering energies of blue and green, it seemed like the green light was pulling at the blue. Reaching out a hand, Ketu gently pushed on the barrier, feeling it give away ever so slightly.

 

“A group called Shin-Ra seems to be stealing the energy that the Lifestream produces.” A frown appeared on Iroh’s face. Ketu knew how much the General respected the spirits, and shared his distaste at such an invasive way of acquiring power. “It seems like the Lifestream is destabilizing.”

 

Tired, Ketu closed their eyes. They should be feeling elated, having the barrier finally be weakened, but it wasn’t the way they wanted things to pan out. Reaching within themselves to find their determination, Ketu’s eyes opened with a familiar defiant spark, “I’m going.”

 

Iroh looked over to the Avatar that had become his constant companion over these twenty-five hundred years and smiled. “It looks like the world needs its’ Avatar. Good luck, Ketu.”

 

Taking a deep breath, the tattooed airbender of an Avatar reached forward and pushed themselves into the Lifestream. As their old form broke down into mist and their memories were swept away, Ketu couldn’t help but give Iroh one last triumphant smile before disappearing completely.

 

It was time for them to fulfill their duty as the Avatar.

  
**~Night of the Broken Comet: Prologue End~**


	2. Bending Over Backwards

**~Water: Chapter One: Bending Over Backwards~**

 

When Cloud Strife was six years old, he found out that he could breathe underwater.

Well, it was more like ‘creating a bubble of air with his hands and using it to breathe while he was underwater’. As it was, he couldn’t use the water to breathe. That would be silly. He wasn’t a fish and it wasn’t like he had gills or anything.

. . .Or did he?

In a panic, the little blond’s soapy hands shot up to his neck, checking every bit of it for gills.

Nope. Nothing. That was good. He really didn’t want to turn into a fish.

As his panic subsided, the young Strife sniffed and looked down into the bathtub where a lone rubber ducky was floating in the bubbly abyss. He ignored it, instead reaching over the side of the tub to peak out of the cracked bathroom door, “Mom! I can breathe underwater!”

There was instant shuffling as a slightly frantic and slightly confused Claudia Strife stepped into the bathroom. Seeing her son with his head above water, she crouched down, leaning forward to inspect her little Chocobo. “Did you wash your hair?” Claudia asked with a distracted tone as she checked the temperature of the water to see if it had gotten too cold.

Cloud nodded, fidgeting in his spot before he couldn’t take it anymore, “Mooooom, that’s not important. I can breathe underwater!”

Claudia giggled, pushing her sleeves up before raking her fingers through her son’s slightly soapy hair. “Cleanliness is very important, Cloud. Now, what’s this about you breathing underwater?” Cloud’s nose had scrunched up as his mother cleaned out the suds from his hair, but he instantly brightened at the chance of showing his mother his new trick.

“Look!” He put his hands in the water, urging the liquid to move apart like it did before. When the small waves only sloshed away under his palms, Cloud grew frustrated. Why wasn’t it working? He looked up at his mother with pleading eyes, “It worked befoooooore.” He whined, his tiredness causing him to act out more than usual.

Smiling, Claudia reached forward and kissed her son’s forehead, “I believe you.” she said simply. The tiny blond only pouted more, obviously displeased about not being able to show his mother his cool trick. The woman leaned back and exaggeratedly copied his pout with one of her own.

They stared at one another for a good minute, both jutting out their bottom lips in a ridiculous fashion, before they couldn’t hold it in anymore and giggles escaped both blonds. Claudia was the first to recover, reaching to grab a towel off the counter and motioned for Cloud to get out of the tub before she started ruffling him up and down with said towel. “Moooooom.” He complained as she messed up his hair, causing it to stick straight up.

Claudia simply smiled before hanging up the towel over the bathtub and pointing the blond child to a pile of clothes. “Get into your pajamas, if you’re quick about it, I’ll read you a bedtime story.” Cloud nodded excitedly before hurrying to put his clothes on. His mother started humming a tune as she went to clean up, unplugging the drain and putting away his toys. In no time at all, the young boy tugging on her skirts just as she was putting the bottle of bath bubbles under the cupboard, a telling sign that he was ready for his bedtime story.

Resting a hand on his drying golden locks, Claudia urged Cloud toward the bedroom, fully intending to honor her promise.

* * *

 

When Cloud was seven years old, he promptly decided that the River God was his best friend.

After not being able to show off his new trick to his mom, he decided that he needed more practice. He didn’t want his mom to think that he couldn’t control the water. (He could!) She always took things away from him when she thought it was too dangerous. (So he had to prove he could use it!)

As it turned out, with a bit of practice, he could make the water do _anything._

With just a wave of his hand he flicked the water to and fro, making it dance along to whatever tune he decided to hum that day. He would use his newfound abilities to splash the local bullies while they weren’t looking, or cause them to ‘trip’ into a puddle.

On lazier days, Cloud would talk to the water about his life. What he had to eat that morning, where he was planning to go explore after dinner. Not having any friends, the little chocobo found comfort in the dancing waters.

One day, when the bullies decided to ‘teach him a lesson’ about laughing at them, Cloud found himself with several scratches and bruises.

Not wanting to face his mother, the sniffling child went off to the river to tell it all his woes. As he crouched down to wash his bleeding hands with the water, he told the river all about the bullies and how they made fun of him. The young Strife could only sigh though, and repeat what his mother had told him, “‘Don’t get hurt, don’t get into fights, be polite.’ How am I supposed to do that when they come after me?” Cloud pouted, wanting the painful scratches and bruises to stop hurting so he could go home.

A warm glow erupted from the water, encompassing the little Chocobo’s hands. Mesmerized, Cloud watched as the injuries disappeared without a trace, leaving his skin soft and smooth. Curious, the seven-year-old took off his shoes and dipped his legs in the water, watching as it healed him of the damage the bullies caused. “You’re healing me!” A grin erupted on his face, “Thank you!” And that was how Cloud became best friends with the supposed River God.

* * *

 

When Cloud was nine, he noticed that his neighbor looked sadder than usual. Asking his mom about it at dinner, Claudia look at him sadly before answering, “Little Tifa lost her mom recently, sweetie.” Thoughtfully chewing throughout dinner, Cloud wondered what he would do if he lost his mom. He’d probably look everywhere for her until he found her.

A few days later, when Cloud was on his way back from visiting the River God, he noticed Tifa walking by with a determined look in her eyes. “Where are you going?” He asked, turning his heel to follow her.

“To find my mom.” She responded, chin jutting out in a stubborn sort of way.

“Oh.” The blond didn’t really know how to respond to that. He figured questions were a safe bet though, and asked, “Where is she?”

“Across Mt. Nibel.”

Cloud paused in his stride before moving quicker to catch up again, “But crossing Mt. Nibel is dangerous!” Either she didn’t hear him or ignored him because she continued to stride toward the mountain. “Fine! But I’m coming with you.” He said, waiting for some kind of response, but it never came. Huffing, the boy decided that he would ignore her as well, staying three feet behind her.

A few minutes passed until they came up to a rope bridge. For the first time since her long stride, Tifa paused, hesitating to go across. Cloud waited for her judgement (hey, it was her mom, not his!), before she finally took a shaky step forward. The blond followed, unsure about his own steps as they walked across the rickety bridge. “Tifa!” Cloud called, uncertain about the whole thing, “I don’t think we should be here!”

But Tifa remained resolute in her decision, gathering up her courage to take another step forward.

Behind him, Cloud could hear the tell-tale snap of a rope breaking before wind started to whip past his hair. He watched in horror as Tifa started to fall along with him. River God, please! His mind pleaded as he and Tifa grew ever-closer to the river in the gorge below. Help us!

There was a splash of water before everything went dark.

* * *

 

When Cloud woke up, it was in a soft bed with a warm blanket over him. Groaning, the young boy tried to sit up, but found he couldn’t, as there was a foreign weight on his leg. Opening his eyes just a smidgen, Cloud could make out his bedroom. Blinking to get the sleep out of his eyes, he looked around again to see that there was a cast over his leg. It took him a second to remember, but the image of him falling off the bridge came to the forefront of his mind.

He was about to call for his mom when he heard her voice from outside his window. Although unable to get up, Cloud was able to hear her and Mr. Lockhart. In fact, the blond was sure that the entire neighborhood could hear them.

“I want your son to stay away from my daughter! He’s the whole reason she’s in this mess!” Mr. Lockhart accused.

“Excuse me?!” Claudia’s normally soft-spoken voice was volumes more noticeable when raised, even slightly. “My son is in there with a broken leg, concussion, and two fractures in his ribs, and you have the gall to accuse him of anything when your daughter came away unharmed?!” Oh, so Tifa was okay. That was good. Why was Mr. Lockhart angry then? It didn’t sound like his mother was done, however, when she continued to argue with Mr. Lockhart.

“You come here to make accusations when he isn’t even conscious enough to defend himself! If you want to be angry at the world, fine, be angry, but don’t take it out on my son!”

Cloud could hear Mr. Lockhart’s weak protests before he finally stomped away back home, slamming his door as he did so. The blond heard a tired sigh come from his mother before she too went back inside her house. Not wanting to be caught eavesdropping, Cloud closed his eyes and pretended to be asleep. When his mother reached his room, he heard her open the door slightly, probably just to check up on him, before closing it and walking away.

Not really knowing what to do, having already rested enough and being wide awake, Cloud thought about the conversation he just heard. If only he were stronger, then him and Tifa could have made it across Mt. Nibel no problem. Sighing, he looked up at the ceiling, watching the spiders that seemed content to hang out in the corner. Cloud doubted that he could get stronger on his own. For starters, he didn’t really know how. Sniffing, the blond thought about Old Man Zangan, the martial artist who had made Nibelheim his home a few years back. He was teaching Tifa how to fight in exchange for residency, but maybe he’d be willing to show him a few moves?

Cloud tossed the thought in his mind. At the very least Old Man Zangan could tell him how to get stronger. He’d ask the martial artist when his leg was all healed. In the meantime, he counted the seconds.

* * *

 

When Cloud turned eleven, he finally realized that the healing water wasn’t a River God.

He was helping his mother with dinner when he accidentally cut himself with the potato peeler. Hissing at the stinging sensation, Cloud put the injury under the running water, pinpricks of tears in his eyes as he wished away the pain. There was a familiar soft glow before his cut was healed, like it never was there in the first place.

Confused, Cloud wondered if the tap system was connected to the river, but when he asked his mom, it turns out that it was, instead, well water from the other side of town.

“I don’t get it, the river is so much closer!” He huffed one day, looking at his healed finger all throughout dinner.

Claudia couldn’t help but smile at her indignent child before responding, “The river is also much closer to the Mako Reactor.” She reached over to pluck his empty plate away and started stacking it with the rest of the used dishes. “The mayor is pretty sure that that water is contaminated and doesn’t want anyone drinking it if they can help it.”

Scrunching up his nose, Cloud couldn’t help but wonder about that word, Mako. “Mom, what exactly is Mako?” He kept hearing it from the adults over and over again but never really understood what it was.

The blond-haired woman sighed, pushing back her bangs. Not for the first time, she wished she had the money to send Cloud to proper schooling, if only because she didn’t know how to respond to half his questions “It’s energy. It’s what makes our light bulbs light up. Shin-Ra uses the reactor to extract it from deep within the Planet. Some say it’s Gaia’s very life source.”

Sniffing, Cloud nodded, although very confused about why they were taking away the Planet’s life source. However, he didn’t ask anything more and instead helped his mother with the dishes.

* * *

 

When Cloud was twelve, his mother fell ill.

Nothing serious, or life-threatening. But she had to stay in bed for a couple days, causing a slight dip in their savings for that month, as she couldn’t work. For the first time, as he was old enough to notice, Cloud understood just how little his mom was making when she could only put meager scraps on the dinner table.

That year, Cloud went looking for extra work to pick up the slack, taking up odd jobs where he could. He’d done this before, normally to save up for his mother’s birthday, but this time, instead of waiting until he had enough, he kept at it as best as he could without worrying his mother.

This was also the year that he learned about Materia. Or, more specifically, how it actually worked.

“So, you gotta have a bracer and some weird orbs before you can throw lightning?” Disappointment was clear in his voice, as he had entertained the thought of making lightning dance with just his fingertips after hearing some awesome tales about SOLDIER.

Claudia smiled, ruffling his hair, “That’s right, and it’s very expensive.”

Despite having his hair all messed up, Cloud only playfully swiped her hand away before turning thoughtful, “Can . . .people do magic without that stuff?” He watched as his mother tightened her coat around herself in a vain attempt at hiding from the Nibelheim cold.

“No, not anymore. It’s said that the Ancients could wield magic without Materia, but there are no more Ancients left.” Her tone was melancholy but held an edge to it that her son couldn’t identify.

An uneasy feeling made its way to the pit of Cloud’s stomach. He shoved his hands in his coat pockets in an attempt to squash it, but failed. Suddenly, he was glad that he kept his water-dancing a secret. He didn’t know if he would like being ousted as an Ancient, as even he knew that Shin-Ra seemed to have a weird obsession for them, and it didn’t help that the village had superstitions surrounding Ancients, not all of them good. Not to mention, his gut twisted at the thought of anyone finding out. Absently, Cloud wondered if his mom knew. She didn’t seem to, but Claudia Strife was a hard person to read at the best of times. Not knowing his father personally, the little chocobo could only make assumptions, but it seemed obvious what he was. Things were bad enough with the village assuming that he was born out of wedlock, but if anyone were to find out that his father was a Cetra….

Smiling to hide how uneasy he was feeling, Cloud trotted beside his mom through the snow, all the while pretending that his hands were only shaking from the cold.

* * *

 

When he turned thirteen, Cloud could proudly say that he had quite the impressive savings hidden under his bed. While he didn’t like to spend the money on frivolous things, the blond decided that he earned something for his birthday. So, he used a little of his earnings to buy himself a Shin-Ra magazine.

After the cake and well-wishes from his mom, Cloud scampered upstairs to oogle at his new treasure. Taking the shiny pages to gleam at the contents once more, the blond thought about the form that was tucked safely inside.

While he admired the SOLDIER that was plastered across the cover (Who wouldn’t? It was Sephiroth!), he chose this issue for more than his admiration. This particular issue had a form for joining the Shin-Ra army. The magazine itself covered the daily life of all army personnel, from SOLDIER to infantryman, and at the end of each article, there was a form to fill out should anyone be interested.

Normally, he wouldn’t even consider it. The fear of Shin-Ra finding out about his water-dancing made him jumpy and nervous. But lately, Cloud had noticed bags under his mother's eyes as she scraped up barely enough gil for the month. He knew that it was partially his fault. Old man Zangan had said that kids his age started needing more food so that they could grow up properly. His mom was trying, that much was evident, but it was taking a lot out of her.

But Shin-Ra . . .they fed their people. Gave them a bed too. Cloud could go and not only make money for his mother, but cut the price of her grocery bills while doing it. The gil he was slipping into his mom’s pockets without her noticing was obviously not enough to compensate.

Looking over at his bed and the money hiding spot under his floorboard, Cloud bit his lip in thought. The magazine was slowly crumpling in his hands as he thought about his options for the future.

If . . .he waited another few months he would have enough for the trip to Midgar and enough to leave here for his mother. Although the SOLDIER program looked tempting, he didn’t really want to be looked at that closely. It was hard enough keeping his water-dancing a secret in Nibelheim.

He sighed, putting the magazine away before he could think about it anymore.

* * *

 

It was only three months later that Cloud decided to leave for Midgar to try and make some money.

His mother had been understandably upset at his decision, and it had taken the entire month for him to get her to come around to the idea.

“I’m not gonna do anything too dangerous.” He said, trying to sound reassuring, “I’ll just be an infantryman. They’ll feed me and give me a place to sleep, so you don’t have to worry about me. And I’ll write. Every week.”

Claudia Strife looked down at her boy of only thirteen years and sighed, knowing that there was little she could do to stop him. He was determined to do this, that much she could tell. Besides, it wasn’t like Nibelheim was brimming with opportunities, and the meager work she was getting was barely able to feed them.

She also knew how talented her son was. After the incident with the bridge, Cloud had promptly decided that he wasn’t strong enough, and had begun basic self-defense training under Zangan when he had healed. Although the old man could only give out pointers, as he was concentrating on his first student, Tifa, Cloud picked up the skills very quickly, even without much instruction. Zangan had once joked that her little Chocobo may very well be a genius when it came to martial arts. It had also done wonders for her little chocobo’s temper, as Zangan had forced him to meditate and reflect whenever it had gotten out of hand. While Claudia couldn’t say that Cloud was an adult, she definitely knew that he was growing up well and soon would be capable enough to take care of himself.

Eyebrows furrows in worry, Claudia looked down at Cloud, “You’ll be careful, won’t you?” His confident grin was all he responded with.

* * *

 

One month later (it would have been shorter, but the blond refused to take any form of transportation beyond walking), Cloud was mentally hitting himself over the head at such a stupid decision. Of course there would be an age limit of fourteen years or older. He only had eight months, but still, he didn’t have the gil to live in Midgar for eight months.

There was nothing he could do. With how small he was he couldn’t just lie and say he was fourteen, no one would believe him. He could go home, but that would be difficult with the meager amount of money he had left. He could search the city for some work and find an alleyway to sleep in, but he wasn’t so sure if he would even live through the night. Either way, just standing outside of the recruitment office like an idiot wasn’t helping, so he left with unsure footsteps.

Walking around Midgar to get a sense of where he was, Cloud wondered how everyone could live without being able to see the stars. Looking up at them was one of the few joys of living in the country. Yet, everyone here seemed content with the smog that plagued their sky. There was probably something poetic about it. Some irony on how the smog reflected his current situation.

Sighing, the boy wondered what he would do. Thanks to his odd jobs around Nibelheim he had a collection of skills, but it was doubtful that anyone would hire a thirteen-year-old country boy.

“--UCK!” Looking over at the suddenly loud voice, the blond blinked turning his head to watch an irate mechanic struggle with whatever he was doing with the truck he was under. Curious, Cloud stepped forward, listening to a series of swear words that would make a sailor blush.

Without thinking, the little blond opened his mouth, “Need help?” Pausing in his work, a brown-haired man came out from his work to look at the new voice. His green eyes were slanted in suspicion and he was chewing on a toothpick. “I know some stuff.” Cloud offered lamely, not sure what else to say.

The mechanic considered the kid in front of him for a second before grunting, “Alright, give it a shot. Don’t blow it up though.” Cloud nodded eagerly before dropping his pack and sliding under the lifted vehicle. Looking at the underside of the truck and determining what to do, the blond continued the mechanic’s work.

Fifteen minutes later, Cloud emerged from the car, hands greasy and stains on his shirt. The mechanic went back under to check on his work briefly before coming back out. “Not bad kid.” Green eyes watched at the blond tried to get a particularly stubborn grease spot off his shirt. “What’s your name?”

The kid paused in his fidgeting, “Cloud Strife, sir.”

“Names Luke, none of that ‘sir’ stuff.” The mechanic, now dubbed Luke, looked over the small thirteen-year-old. “You aren’t from Midgar are you?”

It was a rhetorical question, but Cloud answered it anyway, “No si-, I mean, Mr. Luke. I’m from Nibelheim.” The blond wondered if anyone here even knew about Nibelheim. It was so backwater that he would be surprised if anyone did.

Luke snorted, “What’re you doin’ here?”

Sometimes, Cloud wondered the same thing, but he only shrugged, sticking with his original reason, “We need money, so I decided to join the army.”

The mechanic took out a cigarette, Cloud couldn't help but wrinkle his nose at the offending object. “Well, why aren’t you there then? Isn’t it kinda late to be applying?” Although it was hard to tell what time of day it was with there being no sunlight, Luke had enough experience from the street lights to know that it was reaching nighttime, long after the Shin-Ra recruitment offices closed.

Cloud grimaced, “They got an age limit. I’m not allowed to join until I’m fourteen.” He lifted his palms up in frustration. “I’m only eight months away too!”

Looking over at the kid’s small bag of supplies, Luke wondered if that was all the kid brought with him or if that was all he owned. A country boy like this would die before the winter even started. Probably in an alleyway with a knife shoved in his gut. “You got a place to stay?” When the boy shook his head in such a dejected manner Luke couldn’t help but feel sorry for the kid. “Seriously? Kid, the winters here may not be like they are in the country, but hell, you’ll freeze like that.” The kid’s face fell, obviously not really having thought it through. Scratching his head, the mechanic cursed his bleeding heart before he offered, “You can stay here, if you want. Work for room and board and all that.”

The kid’s eyes light up like it was his birthday all over again. In a rare moment of complete gratitude, Cloud bounded forward, hugging Luke around his waist before pulling back with a blush dusting his cheeks. “Thank you, Mr. Luke.” He said shyly, completely unsure of what to do next. Cutting through the awkward silence, Cloud’s stomach gave a loud protest at being ignored.

The mechanic cleared his throat, gesturing for the kid to follow him. “Let’s get you some food first, kid. Then we’ll talk about a work schedule.” Smiling, Cloud followed the mechanic into a store with the words ARKHAM WORKS displayed across the front, happy for his sudden bout of good luck.

* * *

 

It was a month in his new job as a mechanic’s apprentice that Luke finally discovered one of Cloud’s worst secrets.

Motion sickness.

The man had laughed himself silly at the irony. Teasing the blond every chance he got. It was days before Cloud got over the humiliation. He did his best to keep a straight face whenever Luke went on another laughing fit, but it was getting really hard to squash the urge to blow up at the brown-haired man. His mother’s voice would echo through his head whenever he thought about giving Luke a piece of his mind, reminding him that he should be polite to the man who gave him a job, mediation also kept him from exploding at the man. It was difficult, but the blond managed. Barely.

In between the teasing and his work schedule, Cloud trained.

Old man Zangan had taught him the basics, but Cloud oftentimes found himself straying from the motions he was taught. Instead of the quick and aggressive stances that Zangan had showed him, Cloud would instead make his movements slower, his breathing deeper and more steady, and even copy different forms of mediation. Sometimes, he would go back to the previous, more aggressive, motions, but with implementations of his slower practices.

One day, Luke came to watch him, eyes steady on the flowing movements that Cloud presented. It was mesmerizing. Almost as if he were dancing with an invisible partner. The blond moved with a surety that looked out of place in a young teenager. When he trained, Cloud looked older, more confident, and experienced. It was at times like these that the mechanic wondered why the kid wasn’t going to try out for SOLDIER, but the young Strife was adamant about not trying out. He seemed dead set on the unappreciated life of an infantryman. Luke, for the life of him, couldn’t figure out why. However, he didn’t push, knowing that the blond probably had his reasons.

“Hey kid,” Luke called out, breaking Cloud out of his concentration and causing startled blue eyes to turn to him. “Got some stew ready if yer hungry.”

* * *

 

Sure enough, eight months went by in the blink of an eye, and it wasn’t long before Cloud had packed up his few belongings, ready to set out to the recruitment office. “Thanks for everything.” The kid said, face cleaned up for his interview. They were standing outside in the summer heat, saying their goodbyes before Cloud headed off to join Shin-Ra.

The mechanic waved him off, “I should be thanking you kid, got a lot of stuff done while you were here.” You’d think that being at the edge of the slums would make things difficult, business wise, but even people in the slums needed a mechanic, and he was the only one around with decent prices. While he had plenty of work, he didn’t have enough hands to finish everything in a timely manner. Cloud’s appearance had been a stroke of luck, seeing as how the blond had the know-how and skill to fix up motors. As it was, Luke was a little disappointed to see him leave. “You’re always welcome back here if the whole army thing doesn’t work out.” Cloud smiled, nodding before waving his last goodbye.

Luke waved back, an unlit cigarette hanging off his lips. When the blond head of hair was out of sight, he dropped his hand, a frown making its way to the mechanic’s expression. He really hoped the kid would be okay. Shin-Ra policy was brutal for adults much less children.

Slowly, Luke went back inside his shop to the phone sitting on his desk. A sigh escaped him before the mechanic put the receiver to his ear and started dialing a number he knew by heart.

* * *

 

Joining the Shin-Ra infantry was painfully easy.

It only took an hour of reviewing his application and then another of testing his physical abilities before they stamped his paper in approval. Even with the rebels hiding in Wutai, no one seemed concerned that a spy might enter the ranks just as easily. Granted, Cloud thought as he and a small group of newbie infantrymen were given a tour of the place, With SOLDIER around, they probably have nothing to worry about.

The tour was kept short, the group only being shown where they were supposed to go at certain times of the day and being told which areas were off limits. Before long, they were given a uniform, with Cloud receiving the smallest size there was, before heading off to their bunks. Looking down at his folded uniform, the young Strife wondered how long it would be before he got bored of the monotone life he was expected to lead.

Mom needs this, he reminded himself, I can deal with a little boredom. Working under Luke had definitely helped, but the blond had been unable to send as much money as he wanted back home. He knew that his mother was getting old and eventually he would have to take care of her. Shin-Ra was the best option overall.

Cloud looked over at his bunkmates as they excitedly chattered about joining Shin-Ra. He wasn’t really feeling up to interacting with such enthusiastic people, especially when he felt a little sick at the thought of what would happen if anyone found out about his water-dancing. These quarters were too small to hold any secrets in.

Putting his uniform on his assigned bed, (It was a bottom bunk, thankfully, if he put a sheet up then he would have a better chance at privacy) along with his small bag of belongings, the blond went to leave the room. Looking over to his bunkmates, he briefly wondered if they would do anything to his stuff before he shrugged, figuring that there wouldn’t be anything of interest to them anyways.

Tilting his head from side to side in an effort to loosen his shoulder muscles, Cloud stroud out of the room, tossing the excuse of needing a bathroom break, though he doubted any of them could hear him. Once outside his dorm, the young Strife decided it was time to find the most secluded, most unused part of this god-forsaken building so that he had a safe place to use his water-dancing.

 

**~Chapter One: Bending Over Backwards~**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Entries . . . .
> 
> Name: Cloud Strife  
> Status: Alive  
> Role: Water-dancer of Nibelheim  
> History: Born in the mountainous countryside, Cloud Strife discovered his gift that he dubbed ‘water-dancing’. Secretly, he developed his abilities, scared that revealing it would mean the scorn of the village or being forcibly taken from his mother. At age twelve he was able to see the financial struggles his mother was forced to face and took up odd jobs around the village. Despite his efforts, he knew that it wouldn’t last, so he went to Midgar looking to join the army and help lessen the burden on his mother. ----- (Entry Incomplete --> To Be Updated) -----
> 
> Name: Luke Arkam  
> Status: Alive  
> Role: Mechanic of ARKAM WORKS in the Slums of Sector 7  
> History: Growing up in Midgar, Luke was something of an oddity to the hierarchy. His mother was from the Upper Plate and his father was from the Slums, leaving him with a family network in both areas. He has a younger half-brother who works for Shin-Ra, but they don’t speak often. Despite his rough appearance, Luke has a good heart, oftentimes helping the kids in the Slums by giving them food or a safe place for the night. He became a mechanic in an attempt to recycle the garbage in the Slums and help clean up the area.
> 
> Name: Claudia Strife  
> Status: Alive  
> Role: Mother, Herb-Gatherer, and sometimes Healer of Nibelheim  
> History: Arriving to Nibelheim with nothing but a small pack and heavy with child, Claudia quickly became the village pariah, as it was assumed she had a child out of wedlock. However, they allowed her to stay, mostly for her knowledge in the healing arts. Whenever Cloud asked about his father, she would only tell him that he died many years ago, although to this day Cloud was never sure if she was telling the truth or not. Claudia would often tell her son old stories about heroes, as she rarely had the money to buy him toys, and taught him all that she knew about the healing arts in her spare time.

**Author's Note:**

> Entries . . . .
> 
>  
> 
> Name: Korra Meaning: “Maiden”  
> Status: Reincarnated  
> Role: Avatar of the Water Tribe  
> History: Despite having a natural affinity toward bending, Korra struggled with the more spiritual aspects of being the Avatar. With bending-sealing enemies and persistent world-reformers, she was faced with many trials. Overcoming these trials, while not easy, allowed her to discover the history of the first Avatar and reunite with the spirit of peace and balance, Raava
> 
> Name: Ratna Meaning: “Gem”  
> Status: Reincarnated  
> Role: Avatar of the Earth Kingdom  
> History: Following Korra, Ratna was about average in terms of the inherent abilities of the Avatar. With the industrial age reaching its end, it became apparent to Ratna that the Spirit World was becoming more and more ostracized by humans. Using his charm and wit, Ratna was able to establish a peace between spirits and humans, and continued to be an ambassador between the bickering groups for the rest of his days.
> 
> Name: Hikaru Meaning: “Light”  
> Status: Reincarnated  
> Role: Avatar of the Fire Nation  
> History: An intuitive child and an orphan, Hikaru discovered she was the Avatar on her own, reluctant to reveal it to anyone around her. Knowing that the world was at an age of self-reliance and technology, she felt that she had no place in a society that was rapidly moving forward. At sixteen, she was forced to reveal herself when the different nations started kidnapping benders at a young age and forcibly recruiting them into their armies. Leading the rebel cause, Hikaru was able to free the captured benders and established the Human Rights Treaty, which allowed for the common people, benders and non-benders alike, to be able to speak for themselves against injustices placed upon them.
> 
> Name: Ketu Meaning: “Comet”  
> Status: Awaiting Reincarnation  
> Role: Avatar of the Air Nomads  
> History: A natural pacifist, Ketu was unsure about being the Avatar. However, despite their pacifism, they were forced to step up as a fighter when the Entity from the Sky crashed into their planet. Their efforts were in vain, however, when Ketu was unable to beat back the mysterious enemy. Contacting the Spirit World for help, Ketu spent the last year of their life wandering the planet for people to save. Through sheer luck, they found a small group of children who had been roaming the world alone. Ketu hid them within the Spirit World before setting out to confront the Entity one more time. Unable to defeat it, the Avatar detached themselves from their physical body to join the fleeing Spirit World, hoping to start again.


End file.
